Zootaxa 2903: 48–56 (2011) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2011 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)

Two new species of the genus Elattoma (: Heterostigmatina: Pygmephoridae) phoretic on Morimus verecundus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Iran

VAHID RAHIMINEJAD, HAMIDREZA HAJIQANBAR1 & YAGHOUB FATHIPOUR Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-336, Tehran, Iran 1Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Two new species of the genus Elattoma Mahunka, 1969 (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Pygmephoridae) associated with Mo- rimus verecundus (Faldermann 1836) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are described and illustrated from Oak forests in Golestan province, Northern Iran: Elattoma cerambycidum Rahiminejad & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. and E. abeskoun Ra- himinejad & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. Both formed large colonies attached on the ventral surface, around coxae I–III of differ- ent individuals of the host beetles. This is the first phoretic record of the genus Elattoma for beetles of the family Cerambycidae. Furthermore, our record of Elattoma is new for the fauna of Iran. A key to world species of the genus Elattoma is also provided.

Key words: , , beetle, phoretic relationship, Scolytidae, Iran

Introduction

Adult females of the family Pygmephoridae (Acari: Prostigmata: Heterostigmatina) generally utilize various insects for phoretic dispersal. These , including the genus Elattoma Mahunka, 1969, are usually free-living and fungivorous (Kaliszewski et al. 1995). Heretofore, the members of the genus Elattoma comprised eight species and had phoretic relationships most frequently with bark beetles (Scolytidae) and rarely with scarabaeids (Scara- baeidae) (Cross & Moser 1971; Khaustov 2000, 2003; Rodrigues et al. 2001). Mahunka (1969) established the genus Elattoma to include Pygmephorus karafiati (Krczal, 1959), a mite first described by Krczal (1959) as Microdispodides karafiati. Cross and Moser (1971) described the second representa- tive of the genus from USA. Thereafter, Khaustov (2000) described four new species from Ukraine and Northwest- ern Russia and finally, two other species were added to the genus from Russia and USA (Khaustov 2003). During a preliminary study of the heterostigmatic mites associated with Coleoptera in Golestan province, Northern Iran, we found two new species of the genus Elattoma. Both species had many individuals on specimens of Morimus verecundus (Faldermann, 1836) (Cerambycidae). This is the first record of the genus Elattoma from Iran. The main purpose of this paper is to describe these two new species.

Material and methods

The host beetles were collected directly in their habitats on Oak trees (Quercus castaneifolia) from Naharkhoran forest, Golestan province, Northern Iran in 2009. The mites were then detached from M. verecundus using mount- ing needles. Mite specimens were cleared in lactophenol and mounted in Hoyer’s medium. The morphology of the mites was studied by a light microscope with phase contrast (Olympus BX51). The terminology used in the description follows that of Lindquist (1986). All measurements in the description are given in micrometers (µm) for the holo-

48 Accepted by O. Seeman: 10 May 2011; published: 2 Jun. 2011